


Opportunity makes the Thief

by flightinflame



Series: Creature Tails [1]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Adorable Newt Scamander, Gen, Niffler Choux, Nifflers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-04-26
Packaged: 2018-09-17 19:31:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9339902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightinflame/pseuds/flightinflame
Summary: A series of drabbles involving Newt Scamander and his niffler





	1. First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TriffidsandCuckoos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TriffidsandCuckoos/gifts).



There was a thief in the Hufflepuff dormitories. Traps had been set by the teachers. A warren of nifflers had apparently come up in the kitchens, and had started by stealing cutlery. Then they had got out into the dormitory nearby, and started to cause complete chaos. Some of the older students had lost currency, watches, jewellery – and the teachers had got the treasure back by destroying the nifflers. The mother had been first to go, and when the boy had tried to protest he had been told not to be silly. These creatures were pests. Vermin. Now, there was only one of them left. The runt of the litter.

The boy, smallest in his year with a shock of red hair, lay on his stomach in the Hufflepuff common room. He had a string held out in front of him, with his grandmother’s ring on the end of it. He’d borrowed it from his big brother, and told him he might not be able to give it back. His brother had hesitated but handed it over, and ruffled the boy’s hair. He’d told him to be careful, and he had promised he would be, just like he always did. It wasn’t a particularly precious ring, but he’d polished it as best as he could.

He knew that he had to get this right. The other children had laughed when he had said he would be able to catch it. They had decided from the first day that they had seen him that he was a problem. That he had no friends. That he was all alone, that he was weird. He made friends with the house elves rather than the other students, and he spent his days in the forbidden forest and by the edge of the lake. He had only been in Hogwarts for a month, and he wished he could go home, to where the hippogriffs would let him spend the day brushing their feathers and where he could help keep the gardens free of gnomes. This was meant to be his chance to make friends and all he was making was enemies.

He missed home. He missed his family, and he felt sorry for the poor niffler whose family had been murdered. It hadn’t done anything to deserve this. It was just acting according to its nature, like the boy was when he wanted to watch the owls or draw someone’s pet rat. That knowledge was why the boy was still up at three in the morning, even though he had classes the next day. Because someone should save the niffler, and he was the only one who wanted to bother.

He was feeling quite tired when he noticed a shadow moving in the corner of the room, near the fire. A tug of the string brought the ring closer to the fire, and the ruby set into it sparkled. The boy held his breath and the shadow crept closer – smaller than the other nifflers, no larger than a rat – it would have fitted into the boy’s cloak pocket.

It was creeping towards the shining ring, and the boy’s heart thudded in his chest – for the first time, rescuing the creature was looking like it could actually be possible. Clawed hands reached for the ring, and it gripped on tightly. The boy took his opportunity, leaping forwards and landing over the creature, clutching it tightly with both hands. The creature squeaked and tried to escape but the boy held on as best as he could. The niffler was still clinging to the ring.

“You need a name.” He mumbled in an attempt to soothe it, running his fingers through the creature’s fur. It was surprisingly soft and warm, and was making a happy chittering sound in his grip when it was no longer being held so tightly. Looking closer, he could see that the niffler was a male, and he wasn’t trying to escape. He was quite small, and the boy knew he would be able to hide him. “You… you can be Nick, okay? And I’m Newt. Nick and Newt.” He grinned brightly, and carried the niffler to his dorm, approaching the battered trunk that he had with his suitcase beside it. Carefully, he held Nick upside down a short distance from the trunk above a pillow. He hesitated.  
“Sorry if this hurts.” He mumbled, shaking him until a few pieces of jewellery and a watch fell out onto the pillow – he would claim he had found the niffler’s nest, and that none were left, and hopefully that would be enough to save this one’s life.

Nick squeaked indignantly as the jewellery was stolen from him. Newt flinched, feeling a sudden burst of guilt.  
“I know.” He whispered, not wanting to wake his dorm mates. “I know, but I can’t… You can’t keep them.”  
Earlier today, he had moved most of his clothes back into his case, and lined the trunk with a soft blanket onto which he had scattered all the sickles and knuts he had. Trying to look after the niffler mattered more than being able to buy the occasional sweet or new quill. He placed the niffler in the trunk, and he scurried around curiously.  
“Hey… I hope… I hope it’s okay. I’ll check on you in the morning, and I’ll bring you some food.” Newt whispered. “I’ll get you more shiny things as soon as I can, I promise, I should be able to steal a spoon at breakfast and-“ He hesitated, then untied the ring he had used as bait. He put it in the trunk.

Letting out a satisfied chitter, Nick shoved the ring into his pouch and set about organising his coins. Newt closed and locked the trunk, and put his case on top of it, before finally clambering into bed. At least now he had one friend in the Hufflepuff dorm.


	2. Expulsion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is definitely the saddest chapter in the fic

Newt opened his trunk with trembling fingers. He hadn't checked on Nick the last two days, and he had been sick with worry, knowing that his only friend through the last four years of school had been locked in the dark with little food. 

Nick raised his head and looked up at him, blinking slowly, and Newt held out a single shining coin as a peace offering.  
"It's okay Nick." He said, and his voice shook, a sob escaping before he managed to quiet it. "We're going home. You'll like home. I'll ward my bedroom, and then you can run around freely, and I'll bring all your hoard with us..." He fell silent, and then reached down towards Nick.

"Sorry..." He murmured to the niffler. "I know you probably don't want to be held, but...Just for a moment..." He brushed his fingers over the creature's dark fur, and let out a sob. "I really...I thought we were friends." He whispered. "I didn't... I didn't think she was going to..." He shuddered and curled up, and let Nick rest on the bed.

Nick had been taught he wasn't to stray over the edge of the bed so he didn't, just curled up beside Newt's hand and allowed his human to run his fingers through his fur, not even squeaking in complaint as Newt brushed him with his fingertips. The two of them sat in silence for a little while before Newt spoke again.  
"I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt. She said it would be...it would be safe. But I know... I know mother and father love me. If I get thrown out, even if they..." He fell silent, gasping for air before he continued. "Even if they take my wand, I'll be able to work on the estate, care for the hippogriffs. If she gets expelled..." He shook his head and closed his eyes.

"I've got an hour to pack. I know you've got your hoard all neatly organised, but I'm going to have to move things around a bit. I'm sorry." Newt said softly. "I have to take all my books home. Theseus and Mother are on their way, father is meeting with the ministry, and there is discussion about a tutor, so..." He shrugged again, and then smiled sadly at Nick.  
"I won't even get to say goodbye to the house elves..." He murmured, and then his eyes lit up. He grabbed a pen and paper, and started to write notes. He filled page after page, and then put each page in an envelope and wrote a name on the outside. He put the letters on his pillow.

"It's not much." He murmured. "But I hope they get them. That they know I'm sorry. That I didn't want to leave like this..."  
His eyes were getting damper by the minute, and Nick slipped off his bed and into his hoard.

Newt sniffled slightly, wiping at his face with his sleeve.  
"I'm sorry." He mumbled. "I guess that you're pretty bored huh? But you can't go in there yet. I have to put the books in first or you'll be crushed."

Plan explained, he lifted Nick out again. Put back on the bed, Nick dipped a paw into his pocket, and pulled out a shiny coin, dropping it beside Newt and then walking in a small circle and squeaking twice.  
"That...that for me?" Newt asked softly, taking the coin and looking around in consideration, before tucking it into the top pocket of his robe. He managed a damp smile in thanks for the gift.

Nick hesitated, then pulled a familiar gold ring from his pouch, the one he had been given the first day that Newt had captured him. He held it up and squeaked again.

Newt took it from him carefully, examining it and then adding it to his pocket.  
"That ..." He leaned in and cuddled Nick for a moment. "You are a good friend." He murmured. "Now... now let me get everything sorted..." He swallowed. "You've got a bit big for my pocket now Nick, so you'll have to go in the case, but I'll pack first..." 

He kept up a soft stream of narration as he packed his bags, knowing that the other boys in his dorm were in class and wouldn't overhear. He then made sure the hoard of coins and other tiny treasures was reachable, and gently put Nick down in the trunk.  
"It won't be for long." He promised, using his wand to float both cases along the corridor. "Just until... just until we're home."


	3. Helping Theseus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is basically take-your-niffler-to-work-day, and the moment towards the end where the Niffler does its thing was the idea of Lourdesdeath.

Newt was eighteen now, and had finished his studies - his tutor had passed him for his progress, so he had been allowed to keep his wand. He had cared for the hippogriffs, and he had started work on a new project - charming a case so that it would have space for his things, and Nick's hoard (which had grown substantially over the past three years), and a dozen other animals besides. There was a nest there for any young hippogriffs, and he was installing a lake.

His case was the project he focused on most days. It was something he could point to as an achievement. He dreamed of filling it with creatures, of learning about them. But for now he had Nick, and Nick was obliging enough - posing for pictures in exchange for a few coins or some purloined cutlery. He learned a lot about nifflers from Nick, and about how to approach creatures on their own terms. He was doing well.

Theseus, his older brother, had excelled in the role he had taken in the ministry, already top of his cohort of junior aurors. For a few days he had been consulting Newt on the case he was working - animal parts were being smuggled through the city, and Newt was gaining a bit of a reputation for identifying them.

Newt didn't like seeing the animal skins and the like, but he did it in order to keep other creatures safe. He would return home and cuddle Nick.

He was busy watching Nick rearrange his hoard when Theseus climbed down into the case, whistling low as he walked over.  
"Did you make this bigger again?"  
"I'm installing some caves. They'll be good for runespoors, and several other-" Newt began, before noticing the angry look on his brother's face.  
"What is it?"  
"I found the smuggler. And they're a distant relative of the Minister. He's asked me to drop the investigation."

Newt frowned.  
"But they've been killing and trafficking creatures."  
"I know Newt." Theseus sighed. "But I'm an auror now. My hands are tied. Of course, if someone else were to go to the Desdemone Manor, and find evidence of wrong doing, evidence that couldn't be argued with, that would be different. But I don't have that freedom."

Newt swallowed and glanced up at him.  
"I do, don't I?"  
"I'll come with you." Theseus promised. "Any problems, and I'll get you out of there immediately. I swear it."  
"Thank you." Newt was afraid. Of course he was afraid. He was a strong believer in the idea that you shouldn't seek out trouble - and he managed to obey that belief unless there were creatures at stake. But now there were, and he couldn't leave them to suffer. "I'll do it."

***

Two nights later, he approached the sprawling grounds of Desdemone Manor, a small bag over his shoulder in which Nick was hiding - the niffler had a natural ability to find keys and the like, which could prove useful. Theseus was nearby, and Newt was wearing a ring borrowed from the aurors' office. If he tapped on it twice Theseus would come and rescue him.

Newt was expecting booby traps and vicious spells, but he found the manor relatively empty. He turned a corner and found a mass of dismembered creatures. He shuddered, and felt Nick squirming behind him.

He let the niffler down, feeling sick when he saw that one of the crups on the floor had a name tag. It was some wizard's pet. He started to gather what information he could, setting out spells at the perimeter to keep him safe.

Nick chittered insistently and dropped a key at Newt's feet. Newt patted the niffler and walked with him to an archway in the wall. He put the door key in the middle of the empty space, and it filled with treasure, a pile of coins and gold bars reaching from the floor to a couple of feet in the air. The niffler let out a delighted noise.

"No." Newt said firmly. "I need to get Theseus now. We've got him on property destruction if nothing else, and if this has been stolen we need to take it back."

The niffler frowned but let Newt go, deciding to investigate the treasure more closely himself. He knew Newt would return soon. 

He made the most of the time that was left, taking what he could of the treasure and using it to fill his pouch, already picturing how incredible his nest would look with even a couple of these things.

***

Rupert Desdemone was not having a good day. The proximity alarm to the manor kept beeping, implying that there was someone nearby, but he could find no one. He wanted to move the latest cargo of treasure and animal parts before they were caught. He felt almost itchy with anticipation.

He headed to check on the treasure, and pushed open the door with his key to find that the room was empty. He glanced around in confusion, wondering if his key was broken when he caught sight of a small round ball of fur on the ground. He walked closer, and realised it was some kind of platypus thing. It looked him in the eye as it pushed one last bar of gold into its pouch.

He reached for his wand, but before he could draw it a spell brought him to his knees and he was tied, finding himself staring up at five aurors. 

A young man in a blue coat walked past, picking up the niffler and then doing something which meant the treasure fell from its body.  
"Very impressive. Well, most of this will have to go to its owners, but we might be able to find a couple of pieces for your hoard..." The man said, as the auror who was behind him forced him to his feet. He groaned and followed, hearing the young man praise the creature for its robbery.


	4. Sudan

Newt knew he had failed. He had tried to save the girl, but she had already given up. He could picture how she had looked the previous evening. She was curled up in the hut, her knees drawn to her chest, and in her mind she had already surrendered. He didn’t blame her. He was angry, but it wasn’t her fault, he knew that. 

He remembered the moment he had first seen her. He remembered the certainty he had felt back then that he could help her. That the obscurus which was devouring her mind and her magic wasn't embedded deeply enough in her to destroy who she was. When she smiled, it was like sunshine. There was a child there, a good child, whose eyes shone with light when they weren’t turning white and her skin turning to smoke. And he had tried to save her. It wasn't enough. She had trusted him, and he had failed her.

Now, he was sat in the tundra, watching a dark ball of smoke float across the sky. He didn’t even have the right place to store her, just put her in somewhere away from the other creatures, where no harm could come to either of them because it was all he could do for her now. He just hoped that she would be safe here. He knew only the parasite remained, but he didn’t have the confidence to destroy it. Instead, he was going to learn, and no other child would die like she had.

He retched emptily, anger bubbling beneath the surface. They had left a week ago, and ever since then anger and self-directed hatred had bubbled just beneath his skin. He couldn't help feeling he had failed her. He watched as the obscurus drifted across the wasteland, and tried to hold back his tears. It wouldn't help anyone if he was weak now, if he was a coward just as he had always been.

It was too late to save her. He had tried, and he had let her down, and that was terrible. But he knew that come the morning, he would have to carry on because others might need his help. The worst thing of it all was that he had no idea what the child's name was. He had asked, but all they would tell her was that she was cursed. That using her name now would be wrong, would bring bad luck upon the village.

Normally, he was willing to respect such traditions. Normally he understood that these things mattered to people, and he could understand that. But right now it left him feeling sick. The little girl was dead and no one other than him was willing to mourn her. And mourn he did.

The obscurus hovered out from the ice, floating through the room. Newt flicked his wand out, using it to send the obscurus back to where it had to stay. The snow was the only uninhabited space here. He would keep her there, and he would make sure he could save the next child he found.

He started to sob.

A slight pressure on his lap drew his attention, and he looked down to find Nick the niffler sat there, staring up at him with shining brown eyes. It chittered hopefully at him, and he searched through his pocket for a coin, pulling out a shining silver circle from his pocket. He expected the niffler to take the coin and race to add it to his hoard, as he normally did but instead the niffler tried to press it back into his hand. It nuzzled against his hand fondly, and let out a soft chirrup.

"For me?" Newt asked, and then shook his head. "You hold onto it." He said softly. "But... if you wanted to cuddle, that...that might be okay..." He wrapped his arms around the niffler, and sobbed into the soft fur. It was safe there. He had failed the girl, but he wasn't going to give up. 

He wasn't sure how many minutes he stayed there, how many tears he shed, but Nick held still throughout. Eventually, he got up, and straightened his shirt, putting Nick back down on the floor and dabbing at his eyes with his handkerchief. He went to feed the other creatures, determined, and then studied the obscurus a little more, using a quill to make notes of what he found out. 

It had been trying to defend its energy source, he realised that. It had been formed as it tried to protect the person it grew inside, and it had continued to lash out. Newt understood. Newt knew he would have easily ended up the same - he had been alone at school, and without a supportive family he could have had his own magic turn in on himself.

Something good, something to focus on other than the pain, could help restrain it. Newt understood that. He jotted down a few more notes, until the obscurus seemed to be a little agitated. It escaped from him, and he allowed it to fly away. it wasn't the obscurus's fault what had happened. It had just been afraid, and hadn't known how to not lash out. But that was no excuse, not something he could allow. 

He carried on travelling. Staying in one place had never suited Newt. Not when there was a whole world out there for Newt to explore. He was determined to make a difference, and he couldn't do that from where he was hidden.

Nick seemed to be making an extra effort to stay close to him for a little while, and Newt tried to reward him by finding random glittering things to hand to him. Nick took them gratefully.

"So..." Newt sat down on the floor in front of Nick, and spread out his map. "Where shall we go next?"  
Nick tilted his head to one side, as though he was trying to decide, but after a moment he made a choice and went for the east of the map, dropping a golden coin down over India. He glanced up at him multiple times before picking his coin back up. 

"India huh?" Newt asked after a moment. "Sure, India we can do..." He smiled a little. "Thanks Nick..." He brushed his fingers over the niffler's fur, and he nipped at his fingers playfully.

"India, here we go..." Newt left the case, and started the preparations to travel there. He decided to take the obscurus along for now, so that he could monitor it, in the hope of a few more ideas or solutions. 

When he arrived in India, he found a world of colour and sparkle, shining things that he used to reward Nick. It didn't take long for him to find a smuggling ring to infiltrate, and life felt a little more purposeful.


	5. The Demiguise

India was exactly the change of pace that Newt needed. Everywhere he looked, the streets were bustling with life. His tall stature, red hair and unusual clothes meant he always drew attention, but his sunburn helped hide his freckles, and he started to enjoy the country.

There were creatures the like of which he never could have dreamed of, some of which he managed to see out in the wild, and others of them sold for potions ingredients. He learned everything he could about the various creatures, hoping that his message about saving creatures would be heeded. He didn't want to live in a world where these creatures had been lost, not if the alternative was persuading people to save them.

He was standing beside a shop, staring at a demiguise in a cage in the window, watching it curiously. The shop specialised in potion ingredients, and had an advert trying to persuade potential buyers to turn the demiguise into an invisibility cloak. The demiguise in question was nervous. Its eyes were brilliant blue, and it watched him intensely. He took a step towards the cage, and it shook its head, then put its hand up to his head as though he was sleeping.

Newt paused and the demiguise disappeared from view. He was sure it was ridiculous to imagine that the demiguise had been trying to convey a message, let alone that he could guess what the message was. But they were meant to be intelligent creatures, even if he had never seen a live one before. It told him to return that evening, so he would.

He spent the rest of the day wandering through the market, and as dark fell he paused by the shop with an apparently empty cage. He cast a quick spell to get inside, knowing that wards set up to stop thieves were often willing to let through researchers. The demiguise faded into visibility, curled up. It pointed at a piece of paper.

Newt reached for the paper, turning it over in his hands. What he found worried him. This demiguise had apparently been brought back here by soldiers returning from the war, nearly seven years ago. He had only been a baby then. Now he was getting to the size where they could sell him to the highest bidder, who would in turn kill him for his pelt.

Newt placed his case down and smiled as he opened it, hoping this would work.  
"In you get okay? You're safe..." Something about him must have put the demiguise at ease because the next thing he knew it scurried down into the case. Newt relaxed for a moment, only to freeze as he saw a small dark bundle of fluff running deeper into the shop.

Newt wished that he had an idea of what was back there - it could very easily have been a trap. But he couldn't leave his oldest friend behind. He held onto his suitcase, double-checking the spell which would transfer the case to Theseus in a true emergency. That seemed to help calm him, and he set off in search of his naughty niffler.  
"Nick?" He called out as he walked along. "Nick?" He dropped his voice as he went deeper into the shop, reminding himself that he probably wasn't meant to be there and that people who were involved in the trading of illegal animal parts were probably not the kind to cross or to treat potential thieves with kindness.

He had had his fair share of run ins with the police, but they were never the real challenge. Regardless of country, there were rules that governed them. Smugglers had no such rules.

He found the back of the building empty, with horns and pelts lined up. The parts here must have come from over a hundred different creatures, and it was worse because Newt knew he couldn't do anything to stop them other than make sure they couldn't sell this. He would report this shop to the police in the morning, and then if the shop was still here, any other animals would be released. That was about all he could do.

He was getting worried at the lack of niffler when he saw a moving ball of dark fur curled up in a grass nest. He walked over, and the niffler lay there, its body swollen with some kind of stolen treasure.  
"What've you got there?" He whispered, reaching out to tickle it, only to freeze as he heard footsteps. Gripping his case's handle, he hurried from the shop, Nick grasped to his chest.

Once outside he broke into a run, and twisted and turned through the tangled streets. Only when he was alone in his rented room did he tickle Nick.

Out fell five perfect shining eggshells, without a dent or a crack. Newt reached for them, turning them over in his hands.  
"These are occamy." He informed Nick. "They are very rare, and you did well to save him."  
He fed Nick a treat, and then walked into the case, Nick held under his arm and the eggs securely tucked into a blazer pocket.

Once he was down, he carefully put the eggs in a nest that he had already prepared for any creature in need. The demiguise climbed into an egg-shaped seat nearby to watch over them.   
Newt smiled and nodded his thanks, before taking a small silver bracelet from his pocket and holding it just out of Nick's reach. Nick took a flying jump and managed to grab it, then scurried off to add it to his treasures.


	6. Pastry

In a way, Nick was responsible for Newt's biggest adventure yet, running across New York to discover new people and making friends that he would stay with for life. That was a relief. After so long with no support, Newt found himself with friends, and that was wonderful. There was Tina, a clever auror who had shown her courage as she dragged him across the city, and her sister Queenie who had the kindest heart of anyone Newt had met. There was Percival Graves, his big brother's best friend, who was capable of surprising generosity, and there was Credence, a quiet and untrained young wizard who Queenie and Tina had taken in.

 

There was one more person in his menagerie of humans, which he had found himself surrounded by in this strange city. And that person was Jacob. He was a muggle, but he had a knack for the creatures and a smile which Newt found himself echoing. He and Queenie could have been happy together, if not for America's laws. If not for the fact that the restrictions in place meant that Queenie and he should have been separated.

Newt didn't care for laws, not when they meant that people were kept away from where they should have been, not when people were hurt and didn't have the protection they deserved. So it had been simple enough to restore Jacob's memory to him. To enable him to know what he had done and how many lives that he had saved. Newt was staying with the Goldstein sisters for a little while, mostly spending his days within the case where he belonged. Percival had allowed this one exception.

Nick seemed quite proud of everything he had achieved during their joint adventure. He spent hours cleaning and shining his fur, and rolling around in his hoard of treasures. He even seemed to have built some of them up in the shape of the jewellery that he had managed to hide from Newt within, and more like the bank, with a box containing more little boxes, each full to the brim of treasures. New York had contained a wealth that neither of them had never imagined.

Newt was checking him over carefully, as though worried he might have been injured. He gently stroked his fingers over Nick's fur, mumbling praise into the niffler's ear. Nick chattered happily in response.

"Newt?" Tina called down from outside the case, and Newt scrambled up quickly to be hit with the smell of baking. Queenie and Jacob were both talented, and Newt had been enjoying their creations. Jacob hoped to one day start his own bakery, but for now Queenie and Tina's kitchen sufficed. He walked over to see what was in the oven, as Queenie dished up a plate of fresh bread rolls, all stuffed with various fillings.

Unnoticed, Nick slipped out from the open suitcase, and made his way over to where the food was. It smelt good. It was fresh and tasty, and he enjoyed the occasional pilfered portion of fresh bread and the like. He paused when he saw what it was that had been pulled from the oven - a pastry creation the same size and shape as him, its pouch stuffed with tiny sweets which glittered in the light.

Nick reached out with one paw, to tap the pastry on the shoulder. It didn't respond, so he moved closer to it, sniffing at it. He bit on its ear gently. It smelt nice, and tasted of food, but it didn't respond.

Nick dipped a paw into the pouch and retrieved a sweet, certain that the pastry creature would respond. Instead it remained staring blankly ahead, not seeming to notice him. Nick saw that Newt was eating a round pastry. This pastry creature was boring but Newt wasn't boring. Newt had managed to bring him on a lot of adventures, and it was easy for him to just slip away from the creature and climb onto Newt's lap.

Newt stroked his fur, carrying on with the conversation as Nick tried to eat the candy he had taken.  
"Those pastries look amazing."  
"Thank you." Jacob reached for the tray, only to pause as Queenie floated it towards them.

Newt frowned a little, his face squashing up. "That one's got a bite mark on its ear."  
"Oh." Jacob chuckled, looking around.   
"Did you leave the case open?" Tina asked, and Newt paused.  
"Maybe a tiny bit? Newt admitted, to his friends’ laughter.


	7. Helping

Newt was surprised to find that life in America seemed to involve making friends. He was used to having a lot of friends - at Hogwarts there had been the squid and the centaurs, and at home as a child there had been more hippogriffs than he could easily count. There were the creatures in his case, and those around the world, all of which touched his heart and gave him a purpose. But in America things were different, for one very simple but very surprising reason. The new friends that he had made were human beings. His old friends remained as precious as they had ever been, but he now counted the Goldstein sisters, Jacob Kowalski (a muggle who had saved them all and made truly excellent cakes), and Director Percival Graves as among their number. Which was something that it was hard to get his head around. That the humans he was fond of, were fond of him in return.

Even the other aurors in MACUSA seemed fond of him, now that he had saved Percival Graves. They all seemed to be happy, seemed to be interested in what he did, in the creatures that he cared about. It built his confidence up. Today, he was sat in MACUSA, the aurors all around him. He was giving a presentation about creatures, helped by Pickett, who was running around and pointing out the correct pictures as they went. The other aurors were actually listening, which was a surprise in a way. After so many years being ignored, he was surprised to find out that he was actually able to teach people. His book draft was nearly complete, and that was exciting. But even more so was the fact he was helping.

He thanked them all, and they drifted away, a few of them remaining to take a look at the images of the creatures. There were a couple of them who waited, but they were talking quietly among themselves, all aside from auror Halens who stood silently, gazing blankly at the table, red hair falling in waves to her shoulder.  
"If anyone has any questions, come forwards now?"

For a moment, nothing happened.

It was auror Halens who walked forwards, pointing at the image of the niffler.  
"That's the one that broke into the jewellery store isn't it?"  
"It is. He loves all kinds of shining things, and he steals them if he can. He has a nest, full of gold and jewels. All nifflers are attracted to shining things."  
"They... they..." She paused. "They can find shiny things?"  
"They are excellent at finding shiny things." Newt agreed. It was a talent.   
"Why?"  
"Because..." He paused, and shrugged. "I suppose it's the same as us. We all like shiny things. Humans keep gold and silver and jewellery. We all value it. Nifflers are just the same. They find it attractive, and they surround their young with shining objects. It seems to affect the youngster's ability to thrive. There's a higher survival rate from Niffler nests with a full amount of gold."

"I see." Halens answered, squirming and running her fingers through her hair. I'm sorry about this, I'm being silly really, but..." She swallowed and glanced down at the floor. Newt frowned, leaning in to give her hands a reassuring squeeze.  
"What is it?"  
"Is it possible... I mean, how do they actually find it?"  
"They look." Newt shrugged a little. "They seem to have a sixth sense for it, I've been carrying out experiments on him to check, but he isn't always the best at testing..."

"I see." The auror said softly, her forehead creased and gaze downcast, and Newt sighed. He reached out and squeezed her hand.  
"Look, whatever it is that's going on, why don't you tell me?" Newt asked. "I'm bad at noticing when things are subtle." The auror smiled at him and shrugged.  
"Seems you can tell when someone isn't being entirely honest with you..." She answered, then looked down. "It's about my mother's jewellery. She left me a necklace. Just silver, with an emblem on it. And I can't find it. I've tried using all kinds of finding spells, but... mother said that it was designed to protect. It can't be charmed." Her voice trailed after a moment and then shook her head. "I can't find it. It's somewhere here, I brought it into work but now I can't find it anywhere and it's all just... It's all gone. Her house burned down from an attack, when I was younger. The necklace was... I have to find it. I can't find it and I thought that maybe the niffler could help?"

Newt frowned, considering what he was saying. He tilted his head to one side in concentration, and then smiled a little.   
"I think you're right." He paused. "I mean, I can't promise anything. I can't promise that he will find it. But we can look." 

Auror Halens squeezed his hand.  
"Thank you."  
"Do you have any pictures of it?"  
Halens reached into her pocket, and pulled out a photograph. It was clearly her, although she was younger then, dressed in an Ilvermorny robe that was far too big for her fragile form. She was smiling and waving, and around her neck was a small silver necklace.

Newt nodded, and headed into his case.  
"Wait out here, I won't be long."

He headed across to the nest, picking up Nick and gently stroking his fingers through his fur.  
"Hey, Nick, I need you to do something for me, okay? Something good. I know you can."

Nick cocked his head to one side, and Newt sighed, thinking that he was yet again trying to reason with a creature.   
"And you'll get three shiny shiny coins if you do exactly what I ask." That, at least, was enough to get the niffler's attention.

Having reasoned with him, Newt got to work, fashioning a leash out of some rope. He wrapped it around Nick, making sure he wouldn't get loose (Picquery had made it quite clear to him that if Nick got loose in her building, he would go through all kinds of hell) and carried him back out to the waiting auror.

"Here." He handed the end of the leash over to Halens. "Don't worry. He's said he's going to try and help."  
"He said?" She asked with a frown. "I thought that... I thought that you said only Jarveys could talk?"   
He was impressed, startled to find out that someone had paid attention to his talk.   
"Yeah, but... I can tell what Nick's thinking."

Halens took the leash, and put Nick down on the floor. The niffler started to scurry across the floor, searching behind filing cabinets and under tables. After a few minutes of searching, he started to chatter, scraping claws across the floorboards a few feet away from Halens’ desk. Newt walked over, and saw a silver glint beneath the floorboards.   
Halens fell to her knees and gasped in shock.  
"He found it!"  
"Well done..." Newt praised as he picked up Nick, and held him close.   
"I'm taking him back to the case. I promised him some coins."  
"Here." Halens dipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out a shining silver badge. "This is an old one, he can have that."

Newt nodded, taking the badge and handing it over.  
"Well done."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (So, I've marked this as complete because for now I have run out of ideas. However, if you have any suggestions please comment - I like this fic and would happily write more!)


End file.
